Kotomine Shirou
by Mereo Flere
Summary: A life more different than just a change of a name.  For Shirou, son of Kotomine, it is time to face the challenges of the Holy Grail War.
1. Chapter 1

It was cold.

Before anything else, this single fact made itself apparent in the young boy's mind as he woke up for the first time in days. Lying in bed for at least a minute, eyes not yet even open, he thought about how cold it was, and just why it seemed so strange. There had been worse days - days where it had felt like his whole body would freeze - yet, none of them had ever felt quite so unnatural.

And then, he remembered, a flood of memories returning to him. Flames that had engulfed everything. Screams of young and old alike. The smell of burning flesh, mixing in with the smoke. Bodies, like his own, still moving, struggling, crying out in despair. Then, silence reigning over all.

Back then, after the scorching heat of the fires died down, it had been cold too. Cold, and dark.

The boy bolted up in bed, shivering even as his own body was coated in sweat. He looked around, at his hands, at his room, for anything that could convince himself that it was but a dream. Yet, though there were no scars on his body, no signs that he had been through any blaze at all, everything else had changed.

This was not his bed. This was not his room. Though he could not be sure, he had a feeling that he was in the hospital. No matter how he looked at it, he was no longer at home.

The door opened. The boy looked towards it, hoping for his parents to take him back. However, the man that walked through it was no relative of his.

"So, you have finally woken up?"

The man asked his question with a passive face, the answer already clear. It was nothing more than courtesy; even the boy understood. Courtesy, as well, required his reply.

"Yes."

There was no strength in his voice, nor in his body. Still, he strained to remain sitting up, lest he fall asleep once more. At the very least, he had to know one thing.

"What happened?"

The man stared at him. The boy stared back. There wasn't an answer, only another question.

"Would you like to come with me, boy?"

And, the boy wasn't sure what to say. That was only expected.

"I'll tell you everything you want to know, if you do." Silently, the boy nodded, and the man smiled an odd smile. "Well then, what's your name?"

The boy paused for a moment, trying to remember. For some reason, part of it eluded him. In the end, "Shirou," was enough.

---

"Kotomine Shirou" By Mereo Flere

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Fate/Stay Night

---

It would be a few days before Shirou could leave the hospital. Even if his body showed no signs of injury on the outside, the nurse had insisted that he remained in bed. He protested a little, wanting to leave the place as soon as possible, but in the end he was convinced to at least have a few tests done.

Though it wasn't long, it gave him some time to think; enough for all of his denials to face the harsh reality. From the very first day he didn't need to look far to find other victims of whatever happened. Outside of his door, he could always hear the medical staff rushing back and forth, and patients sometimes were carried past on gurneys. The families were always the loudest though; with so many people missing, many were still trying to find their loved ones here, only to have no luck.

When that man came to pick him up, however, Shirou saw that things were worse than he had expected. A single step outside of the building greeted him to what appeared to have been a war zone. The destruction had reached every part of the city to some degree, with a few blocks seeming to be simply gone, and many more were in ruin.

At the same time, he wasn't that surprised. As someone who had been caught up in the very heart of the disaster, he remembered first hand (if only a little vaguely) just how terrible it had been. To see his home in such a state, what filled him was an already accepted despair.

If it were that simple, though, then there would have been no purpose for this man - Kotomine, as the man had Shirou address him - to have brought him along. There was definitely something more to be said. There was something strange about what had happened, and Kotomine knew something about it.

Shirou's own self, which should have died in that fire, was proof of that.

"Why did you bring me here?" Shirou asked, as they walked through what remained of the central park. Devoid of any life, it brought a chill to him just being here. He knew, without a doubt, that he wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Kotomine looked around, his hands clasped behind his back, before facing Shirou. "I've brought you here because there is nobody to interrupt us. More importantly, this is where I found you."

That made sense; after all, he remembered being here. At the same time, it didn't. The earth itself seemed to be scorched, and from what Shirou had overheard in the hospital this place had been at the center of the catastrophe.

It should have been impossible for him to still be alive. Even as a child, he understood that.

"You don't believe me."

Shirou looked up at the man before him, and tried to deny it. Nevertheless, there was no fooling Kotomine.

"I just don't understand..."

"You don't need to," Kotomine said. "You are still a child, after all. All you need to understand is the fact that you are alive, rather than why. The only question that you should consider is what you will do with the life that you have been granted."

The boy looked around, as if he were trying to find an answer in the barren field. There was nothing in that small wasteland, no revelation in his field of sight. Closing his eyes, Shirou made a fist, and sought his answer from within.

Living was not enough. For all those that had died, a single life would not make a difference. If he wanted to make it up to them, then the only thing he could do was prevent any more from suffering the same fate.

"I...want to be a hero. I want to make sure something like this doesn't happen again. I want to save lives."

Kotomine's expression did not change, though Shirou could feel the other's eyes upon him, as if judging his resolve. "Such a path won't be easy to follow."

Shirou nodded. "I know."

"Would you continue to chase it, even at the cost of your own happiness?"

Again, another nod, no hesitation at all. "Yes."

"Even if you had to kill one person to save someone else?"

"I..." Shirou stopped. The truth was, he hadn't thought about that.

Kotomine waited a moment, before placing a hand on the boy's head. Shirou was surprised, though Kotomine seemed like he hadn't been expecting a reply. "Very well then, I'll help you realize that dream."

Shirou's eyes widened, and then he smiled weakly. "Thank you. Though...you still haven't told me who you really are."

"Ah, yes," Kotomine said, as if he had forgotten. "My name is Kotomine Kirei - and I am a magus."

---

Ten years had passed since that day. Many things changed in that decade, as they tended to do as life went on. Fuyuki City itself had gone through the most obvious changes. In that time, nearly all of the repairs had been finished, and people had begun moving to the city again. The city was thriving, just as it had in the time before the disaster.

There were other changes as well. Kotomine Kirei took his father's place as the priest at the local church. Shirou himself had been adopted by that man, taking on his name as his own. When Kirei disappeared from time to time, it had was Shirou who took care of the church, watching it when his father couldn't. Even when he was going to school, its maintenance had been part of his responsibility.

However...the biggest change in Shirou's life was the one the outside world couldn't see.

A magus. That was what Kirei had called himself, in that time long ago. Though he didn't know what that was at the time, that was the first thing he was taught in his training. Thaumaturgy, though there was a difference between True Magic and this, those who used it for whatever purpose they may have were considered magi.

It was this that Shirou strove to become. In order to protect people, he would need power; Kirei had taught him early on that a good intention by itself was meaningless. Learning how to fight; learning when to fight; all of this, he had to do.

Despite the fact that he had no talent as a magus, he struggled, he trained, trying to overcome his own weakness. Kirei watched him, and occasionally guided him, but ultimately the grueling training regiment was something that Shirou enforced upon himself.

Breathing. More than anything else - he practiced that. In order to make his spells stronger, he focused his body to act as a circuit. Doing so would master the flow of his prana...yet, one could only get so far with such little time and talent. Seven years was not nearly enough, and Shirou knew that he did not have the skill needed. Understanding the principle behind it was not the same as going through with it, after all.

In the end, he had run out of time. Sooner than anybody had expected, the Holy Grail War approached. It was the same war that Kirei before him had taken part in, and the very same war that he had prepared himself for all this time. To prevent the kind of tragedy that had happened a decade ago, what Kirei had told him had happened, he would become a master in that war.

"Are you ready?" Kirei asked with a steady voice, as he led Shirou into the basement of the church. "You still have the choice to turn back."

Shirou wasn't. They both knew that. However, Shirou wouldn't let such a small thing get in his way. All those years ago, it had already been decided what his life would be. Even if he hadn't become Kotomine Shirou, he would have followed this path, in some form or another.

"This is what I have to do."

Shirou stepped into the magic circle that had been drawn earlier. Hidden in the shadows, away from where his adopted son could see, Kotomine Kirei could only smirk.


	2. Chapter 2

The Holy Grail War was an event that was founded in Fuyuki City by three magus families, roughly two centuries ago. Though it had occurred every sixty years before, for some reason this one - the fifth war - would be the exception. Shirou had thought that he would have more time to prepare, but it seemed that this would not be the case.

Ten years. After such a short time, yet another one would occur. Whether or not he was ready, it was time for him to fight. First, though, he would have to complete the summoning.

The incantation was finished. An offering of blood, fresh from his flesh, had been used in the place of a sacrifice. Within the magic circle, where even his meager power should have been amplified, Shirou had no doubt that he had completed the ritual successfully.

Despite that, nothing had happened. No flash, no bang, nothing that he had expected happened. He noted that the command seals had appeared on his left hand, but not the actual servant. This could be a problem.

Shirou looked to Kirei for an answer. His father seemed almost amused, and motioned for Shirou to turn around after a moment. Doing so faced Shirou with a woman that had not been there before. Though her blond hair, tied up in a bun, was not a completely alien sight in Fuyuki City, her blue dress with plates of armor adorning it was not at all something normal people would go around wearing. No doubt, she was her servant.

He stepped back in surprise, but quickly regained his composure, knowing how necessary it was to make a good impression. If she was to be his partner, then he would have to have her respect.

Taking a single moment to look suspiciously at Kirei, the woman quickly locked eyes with him. In a steady voice, she asked him a single question:

"Are you my master?"

---

"Kotomine Shirou" By Mereo Flere

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Fate/Stay Night

---

Shirou had done it. He had summoned a servant two nights before. Though he had no idea of how the pair of them would actually fair when they met their opponents, he had taken the first step already. If nothing else, then he had intertwined his fate with that of the war; even if he wished it, he would not be able to run away now.

Nonetheless, he had encountered some surprising difficulties. Whether it was because of a lack of skill as a magi on his part, or the nature of how the summoning had gone in the first place, or something else entirely, it seemed that his servant, Saber, would not be able to become incorporeal. Though at the moment, before the war genuinely begins, it wouldn't be too detrimental, several problems would come up because of it.

Prana. Though he was better than a complete novice, if they acted recklessly then Saber could seriously find herself in short supply of it. Remaining in a material form took up more energy than Servant's otherwise would, and they needed to conserve as much of it as they could for their fights.

The other issue, however, was much more serious. No matter how hard she tried to disguise herself, Shirou wouldn't be able to take her along with him at all times. While he spent most of his time at the church anyway, there was one thing he couldn't ignore, even in the Holy Grail War: School. Simply avoiding it was out of the question; if there was a master at school, then such behavior could make Shirou his or her suspect.

This was especially true when he considered the fact that he knew one of the likely candidates personally.

Tohsaka Rin. In a way, you could call her his childhood friend, having met her through Kirei. Though she had been introduced as the daughter of Kirei's ally in the war, she was also descendant of one of the families that had founded the war in the first place; that by itself was essentially guaranteed her a seat as a participant.

Shirou might not have wanted to hide the fact that he was going to be involved as well, but that didn't mean that he wanted to go out of his way to reveal himself to her. The fact was that having to fight her eventually wasn't a comfortable thought, and it didn't help that he saw her practically every day.

It wasn't like she came over to his house or had the same class as him, and neither of them had any clubs that they went to. Somehow, over the course of a day, they just saw each other, talked a little, before going on their way. It wasn't much, but his disappearance would be enough for her to ask what was wrong.

At least he could be relieved with the fact that she rarely visited his home itself. If she ever had business with Kirei, she would just call. Still, that didn't change the fact that he would be going to school without his servant.

'Then again,' he thought to himself, as he finished getting dressed, 'She won't get into trouble if she stays at home.'

He would have to be careful. It was becoming a very common trend, he noticed.

Holding his bag by the handle, he carried it over his shoulder as he left his home, and began his long walk to school. Today, he reassured himself, would just be an ordinary day.

No more than five minutes later, he was proven wrong.

---

The sun had only begun to rise. For Kotomine Shirou, because of the distance between the church and the school, it was necessary for him to get up early to make it to school on time; that is, if he didn't want to rush. Such an early walk didn't bother him; if he thought about it, it was something that he actually enjoyed.

At this hour, the city and its people were still waking up. It was quiet and peaceful - something that he knew would be interrupted in the days to come.

Every other part of the day had already been tainted by the war. Recently, sirens from an ambulance could be heard, racing to some part of the city. Though the victims so far had been discovered to be unconscious, Shirou didn't have a doubt that such frequent cases involved servant. Before this escalated, he knew something would have to be done.

Despite that, it was now that he could relax, and just enjoy the peace. Or, so he thought.

The streets were mostly empty, though that was only natural given the hour. Yet, even if there had been crowded, the woman he saw, not even three blocks from his home, would have stood out in it.

Taller than himself, with red hair cut relatively short, her face would have been easy to find around here. What made her stand out, though, was her clothes. While not as odd as Saber's armor would have been had his servant been walking around, her business attire seemed out of place here.

Of course, that was probably the case. Alone and seemingly lost, she definitely was not from around here.

For a moment, Shirou found himself staring at her, wondering if she was one of the masters that had been invited. If that were true, though, confronting her now wouldn't mean anything - and he didn't have any proof that she was one either. Still, something in his gut told him there was something about her.

It seemed, though, that his gaze had lingered on her too long. As she looked up from the map she had been reading, their eyes met before Shirou could pull his away. With a slight blush, he turned to leave and then stopped.

Glancing back, he asked, "I'm sorry, but are you lost?"

She nodded, obviously a little embarrassed. "Umm...yes. Actually, I was trying to find my way to the local church. Do you know where it is?"

"Yes," Shirou said, a little hesitation in his voice. "Why, are you a believer?"

"No, not in particular," she replied. "I just happen to have business with the priest there."

"Is that...so?" Shirou asked, genuinely curious. What could that woman's connection to Kirei be? "If you'd like, I could take you there."

"Oh, no - you don't have to go that far."

He shook his head before smiling. "Don't worry. It's not that far from here at all."

She laughed weakly, scratching the side of her face. "That's not what I meant. Besides," she continued, eyeing his bag, "Don't you have someplace to go yourself?"

"It's okay," he said, waving his hand in front of himself. "It's still pretty early. I have a lot of time to get there."

---

Bazett wasn't sure what to think. While it was true that she didn't know where she was, and to be honest she had trouble reading the map she had been given, she hadn't expected the young man beside her to insist so much on taking her to the church himself. It was suspicious, even ignoring the fact that he had been staring at her for some reason. Though, she couldn't blame him.

"Do I seem strange to you?" she asked, all of a sudden.

The boy nearly missed a step, and then chuckled nervously. "Where did that come from?"

Bazett looked away, feeling her cheeks flush slightly. "It's just that I'm not used to people staring at me."

"Ah, forgive me," Shirou said, bowing his head. "But you didn't look like you were from around here, and..."

"And?" she asked, raising a brow.

"And, frankly," he said, his gait slowing slightly. "It seemed like you needed help."

"I-is that so?" She supposed that made sense - but somehow, Bazett felt like it implied something about herself.

"Yes," he answered, with no hesitation. Somehow, his confidence didn't instill any within herself.

There was something else she wondered about though, as the boy suddenly made a sudden turn to one of the houses. "Isn't that a little too small to be the church?" she asked suspiciously.

"That's because it's not," the boy said, briefly looking back at her. "It's still too early for my father to be there, after all."

Bazett blinked. "Wait, father?"

The boy nodded as he reached into his pocket for his key. "Yes. You said you had business with Kirei, didn't you? My name is Kotomine Shirou - it's a pleasure to meet you."

Suddenly, Bazett really wasn't sure what to think.

"You're his son?" More importantly, the two didn't look anything alike.

"Well, it comes with him being my father," Shirou answered, with a grin. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm adopted."

Bazett's eyes widened. "Oh - I'm sorry."

"Why should you be sorry?" he asked, tilting his head to the side a little.

"It's, well, you know...isn't it a sensitive subject?"

"No, not really," he said, finally opening the door. "So, shall we go inside?"

---

Though Kirei had found clothes more suitable for the era for Saber, he and Shirou had still insisted that she remain at home. It wasn't a comfortable thought, knowing that her master was going out into the city unprotected, but it was even more uncomfortable to be alone with Kirei, even for a short while.

Her memory of the Fourth Holy Grail War remained. She remembered being there, facing Kirei's own servant down at the its conclusion. Though the result had ended with her destroying the Grail, she was sure that Kiritsugu had killed this man before then. What he was doing now, how he was even still alive, she wasn't sure.

For now, though, she wouldn't ask questions. That, however, only applied to Kirei. She felt that she was justified in asking who in the world the woman that Shirou had brought back home was.

"I thought you had forgotten something, Shirou," she said, eyeing the woman up and down. "But it seems you've brought back something extra instead."

That was right, Shirou reminded himself. Saber was home as well.

"Well, that is," he said, his hand unconsciously moving to the back of his head. "She said she had business with my father."

"What kind of business?"

"I don't know."

"How does she know him."

"I'm not sure."

"Do you know her name?"

"No."

Saber sighed, her palm covering her face for a second. "Shirou...it's not safe to let strangers in the house, you know, especially with what's going on."

"She has a point," the woman said, nodding her head. "You really should be more responsible. Though, is there something going on in this city?"

Shirou coughed and Saber realized what she had said in front of a stranger. Still, Shirou acted quickly, saying, "I suppose if you've only gotten into the city, then you probably hadn't heard about all the gas leakages that have been going yet."

No, she hadn't heard of those yet. "Gas leakages?"

"It's been all over the news. People have been found unconscious all over the city. Some of them haven't woken up yet either."

The woman pursed her lips. "Is that so?"

"Yes," Saber said, though she wasn't sure about this herself. "But you know, you still haven't given us your name."

"It's Bazett," Kirei said, appearing in the hallway. "Bazett Fraga McRemitz. She, as you already know, has business with me."

"Kotomine, there you are," Bazett said, walking up to him. "You didn't tell me you had a son."

"Of course not, I wanted it to be a surprise. For both of you."

"A surprise?" Shirou asked, not the only one confused. "For both of us?"

The sides of Kirei's mouth turned upward. "Yes. You see, this woman is to be your partner."

"Partner?" Saber crossed her arms, staring at her master's father. "But I thought I was his partner."

"Ah, in this case, I suppose it would be better to call her his future wife."

Shirou dropped his bag on the floor, and his jaw nearly did the same. Beside the grinning Kotomine, Bazett was flustered, unable to find any words to say. Only Saber found it in herself to speak.

"Ah. In that case, congratulations, Shirou. Congratulations, Bazett."

"Don't congratulate us!"


	3. Chapter 3

The misunderstanding had been, in fact, quite a simple to sort out once Kirei had finally bothered to explain what was going on. Their arranged engagement would only be an alibi, explaining why she was here in the city and staying at their home.

However, at the same time, Shirou couldn't help but ask "Is this really necessary?"

Kirei turned his back on his son, hands clasped together behind him in a familiar pose. Peering at Shirou from the corner of his eye, he said, "Of course." And, just like that, the matter was settled in his mind.

Shirou sighed. He was sure that his father knew best. Though, surely there could have been a simpler solution? Having an arranged engagement, despite the fact that it was fake, was not something he had ever expected to be thrown at him. Perhaps blades, arrows, and spells, but not people; at least, not in this sort of fashion. Judging from Bazett's earlier reaction, it was a tremendous surprise as well.

However, most of her current concern was the other relationship that Kirei had decided to form. The true partnership that would be between Shirou and Bazett: Two masters, working together towards the Holy Grail as accomplices. Though it was certainly a plan that heightened the chances of their success, there was a small issue to deal with.

"Isn't this against the rules?" Bazett asked, once she finally regained her voice.

It was. Ideally, Kotomine Kirei's position as the mediator of the war should have meant that he was impartial to all of the participants. Though he could offer sanctuary to a master whose servant had fallen, that should have been at the very edge of his bounds. Instead, he had not only chosen his own son to take part of the war, but had also prepared a second master to be his ally.

Those facts, however, didn't seem to bother him at all.

""What do you think is more important?" Kirei questioned, speaking to Bazett in his ever serious voice. "What you protect, or how you protect something?"

"Hmm?"

"You may not know this since you're not from around here," Shirou said, his hands balling up into fists. "But, a lot of people died in the last war."

She had heard. There were plenty of stories of one magus in particular, whose actions included blowing up a hotel and kidnapping in this war alone. Still -

"That doesn't mean we should go as far as this," Bazett said, turning to Shirou. "I can do this on my own, you don't need to get involved."

"He already is." This time, it was the girl her spoke, stepping forward closer to the group. "As my master, Shirou has already made himself involved in the battle. Even if you were to summon a servant on your own, you would only become our enemy."

Bazett's whole body tensed at the girl's words. Though it was hard to believe the person in front of her really was a servant, the threat within her message was clear.

Shirou raised his hands, trying to calm the both of them down. "Honestly, I just don't want to fight anybody I don't have to. I just want to do what I can, to prevent the tragedy of ten years ago.

"Even if the methods are considered unfair, if it means I can keep people safe then I will do whatever I can."

Bazett looked at Shirou, who looked back with a weary smile. Unsure what to say, she opened her mouth several times, only for nothing to come out.

Finally, Kirei tapped her on the shoulder. "So, what is your choice going to be? Are you going to help him."

The truth was, the grail itself wasn't something that she was concerned with. They had a point as well - a battle on this scale could easily involve innocent lives. Though she wasn't completely comfortable with the situation, there was nothing about the plan itself that she could disagree with.

"I understand...but is it really necessary to pretend we're engaged?"

"Of course," Kirei said, confidently. There was another, unspoken reason he had to set it up after all - and it's name was Tohsaka Rin.

---

"Kotomine Shirou" By Mereo Flere

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Fate/Stay Night

---

Lunch time.

A sacred time in every school day, it was a much needed break for the students from the teachers (and vice versa). Occasionally, there would be those who would be still rushing to do their homework for an afternoon class, but for the most part it was reserved simply for eating and talking with friends.

At the moment, though, Shirou just wanted to be alone to think, and he had quite a lot to think about.

Heading up to the rooftop, he leaned against the metal bars of the fence. Holding his left hand up, he could see the bandages around his wrist, barely visible underneath his sleeve. It was from there that he had drawn his blood, used to summon forth Saber, and slightly below it, on the back of his hand, were the command seals that signified his status as a master. His gaze, though, was on none of these; instead, his eyes were focused on his ring finger - and the silver band around it.

"Really, sometimes he goes too far," he said with a blush. "It isn't common for a man to wear an engagement ring either anyway."

And yet, he hadn't taken it off. It was necessary for the illusion, Kirei had insisted, and Shirou couldn't find it in himself to defy his father. Nonetheless, he still didn't know what exactly made it so important.

Such thoughts came to an abrupt halt, as he heard the door to the rooftop open. Quickly hiding his hand behind his back, he glanced to the door and immediately shivered.

There, in the frame, stood Tohsaka Rin, smiling sweetly at him. "There you are, Shirou. I've been looking for you everywhere."

Immediately, Shirou knew he was in trouble.

---

Shirou wasn't the only student worrying about the Grail War. Rin had been thinking about it as well, though she had yet to do anything about it. Despite the fact that it was expected for her to be a master, the truth was the actual number of seats were limited. In the previous day, Kirei had called her, telling her that only three slots were still open.

As much of a procrastinator as she was on the matter, she knew that she would have to acquire her own servant tonight. Before that, though, she just wanted to spend one last lunch with her friend.

The only problem was that her dear childhood friend seemed to have forgotten about it completely. When she arrived at the classroom, it seems that he had already disappeared, leaving her behind. By the time she had found him, lunch was already half over.

Nonetheless, she wasn't angry. Being angry would have implied that she was bothered by him forgetting about her. Which she wasn't.

That's why she was smiling her best smile right now. She didn't mind the trouble she had put him through at all. "There you are, Shirou. I've been looking for you everywhere."

Somehow, though, he seemed afraid of her. She didn't know why. "Hey, don't give me that look!"

Shirou smiled weakly at her. Absentmindedly, he almost waved with his hand, before remembering why he was hiding it in the first place. It wouldn't do well for her to ask about the bandages, after all.

"I'm sorry, but it just looks like you're going to eat me."

Rin's eye twitched, her smile thinning a little. Then, before she could reprimand him, her stomach growled.

"See?"

"Shut up!"

Rin was hungry. She couldn't deny that. She had missed breakfast, spending too much time in the morning preparing a boxed lunch for this moment. Even so, to imply that she would ever eat him...

Blushing at an image in her head, she didn't notice that Shirou had walked up to her - a concerned look on his face.

"Rin? Rin? Are you okay?"

"Yes," she replied, pushing him away. "But you know, it's your fault for not waiting for me!"

"I'm sorry," Shirou said sheepishly, "I just had a lot of things on my mind."

It wasn't a lie. At the same time, she was the one person he couldn't talk to her about it.

"I know how that is," Rin sighed, taking a seat against the wall. "We all have our troubles, don't we?"

"Yeah."

---

The silence was awkward. Even when she had finally tracked him down, it seemed that there was nothing that she had to say. When she had offered him some of her lunch, he had declined, and for the past two minutes he had been completely lost in his own world.

It wasn't going at all like she had imagined it. At this rate, lunch would be over, and nothing would have changed. She would walk away with nothing - except an uncomfortable memory, a kind that she already had many of.

There was nothing to talk about. Well, no, that wasn't exactly true.

"So, I heard you were late today." A weak topic, but if she was honest with herself there wasn't much else she had.

Shirou blinked, before realizing she had spoken to him. "What? Oh, right. Something came up and I had to take care of it."

"Is that right?" Rin asked, a little bit curious. It probably had something to do with why he was up here, now that she thought about it.

"Yeah."

"Care to talk about it?"

Shirou shook his head. "Not particularly."

"Is it something that you can't even tell your only childhood friend?" Rin pouted.

"It's...embarrassing."

"Is that so?" Rin leaned closer to him, smiling impishly. "It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with what you're hiding behind your back, would it?"

A bead of sweat trickled down Shirou's face. "No, of course not."

"I don't believe you."

Shirou hung his head. "I thought you wouldn't."

Then, all of a sudden, Rin's hand shot out - grabbing Shirou's before he had realized what she was doing. Pulling it out in front of her, she was disappointed when she saw he wasn't holding anything. After a moment's glance, however, she saw it.

A cloth wrapped around his wrist, hidden underneath the cuff of his uniform.

"Shirou," she said in a worried voice, looking up at him. "Are you okay?"

"I-it's nothing." Shirou looked away, pulling his hand from her hold.

"Tell me what happened."

Something had happened since the last time she saw him, something bad. She knew that she should have kept a better eye on him.

If not for the exact reason she had expected.

"I'm engaged."

---

This was bad. She had seen it. There was no way she couldn't have not seen it.

From the way she looked at him, from what she asked, he knew that she knew.

"I-it's nothing," he said, trying to deny it.

But it was no use. She knew him better than that, even if the evidence wasn't right in front of her face. "Tell me what happened," she commanded him.

There would be no talking out of this situation for him. It was best to deal with it now. "I'm engaged," he admitted.

And he knew that he had made a mistake.

"Huh?"

As unlikely as it was, Shirou could have sworn a tumbleweed blow past them at that moment.

Naturally, she had completely missed the ring.

---

"You're engaged?!"

Somehow, he felt that he had made things worse.

"Just what did you think I was?"

"I don't know!" Rin yelled, throwing her arms in the air. "Depressed? Suicidal? Maybe you just wanted attention, and were crying out to the world because of you turned emo over the weekend - but not this!"

In one sense, Shirou felt better knowing that his friend was concerned about his safety. That didn't change the fact that he had no idea how to deal with this.

Pulling down his sleeve, he revealed the bandage more clearly, staring down at it. "You mean this?" he asked nervously.

"Yes. That."

"There's a very simple explanation for that, to tell you the truth."

"Would it have anything to do with why you're engaged?" she asked, finally spotting the ring.

"No." At least, not directly. "You see...a couple days ago, a stray cat showed up at the church, and she scratched me when I went to check on it."

"Shirou...you really are an idiot, aren't you?"

Shirou frowned. "That's not very nice, you know."

"And that wasn't a very good lie."

---

Rin decided to drop the issue. Whatever it was, Shirou seemed determined not to give her the answer. Instead, she decided to change topics. "So, you got engaged?"

For Shirou, it wasn't much better than the last one.

"Ye-yeah..."

He had already admitted it. He should have kept his mouth shut back then; but it was too late to change that now.

There was one way, actually, but he was far from being fickle enough to use a wish on something as frivolous as this.

"What the hell were you thinking?!"

Then again, he thought as he cringed. Maybe he should.

"It wasn't my idea, honest!"

"Then whose was it?" Rin asked, crossing her arms. She leaned closer, and Shirou tried to back away, only to remember he had been in a corner; a smart idea on his part, really.

"His!"

Rin blinked. She would have never expected him to be like that. It was true that he had never had a girlfriend, but, "Would your father even allow that?"

"What are you thinking now?" he asked, raising a brow. "It was his idea in the first place to arrange the marriage."

"Oh." Rin blushed. That made a lot more sense, she supposed, though not completely. "Why would he do that?"

Shirou shrugged, having never considered a reason to give people. "He said it was for the best, but if you really want to know, you should ask him."

Maybe she would.

---

The bell interrupted her before she could ask any more questions. There were still some things that she wanted to know. Was he going to go through with this? When would the wedding be? Who was the girl? And, most importantly, why hadn't it been her?

Not that she would have actually asked the last one.

There were a lot of mysteries surrounding Kotomine Shirou all of a sudden. That bandage, that ring, the engagement; all of it had something to do with how strange he had been acting recently. She was determined to find out the truth, no matter what it took.

And that was exactly what Kirei had been counting on.


	4. Chapter 4

Mohuraba Gakuen wasn't that different from your typical high school. Students were students, teachers were teachers, and for the most part people lived their lives as average people both inside and outside of the campus. While many had their secrets, few of them would have been considered outrageous even if they were brought to light.

Yet, because of that, when something truly unusual occurred, gossip was quick to spread around the school. Had Rin bothered to pay attention to it earlier in the day, she would have noticed people talking about Shirou and the ring that he now wore around his finger. Occasionally, she had noticed people glancing at her and muttering something, though that in an of itself was not something she was unused to.

Now, she regretted not caring more about what was circulating in the social circles of the school.

Others had noticed the ring even before she had, and rumors were flying all over the place. Some were saying that the two of them had gotten married over the weekend; others said that it was simply an engagement. There were those that said that Rin was mad at Shirou for running off with another girl; a few variants of those even had him involved with Ryudo Issei, the Student Council President. The majority of them though somehow implied Rin and Shirou together.

"I don't see what your problem is."

The speaker was Mitsuzuri Ayako. Considered one of the top athletes at the school, she was the captain of the Archery Club, and had been for the previous two years. A long term friend of Tohsaka Rin, she was one of the few people Rin could act like herself around.

She was also one of the girls that was suspected of stealing Shirou away from Rin, but both of them knew better than that. At least, Rin didn't consider that it was possible.

"My problem is that it's real."

"Wait, so you are engaged with him?"

"No, of course not!" Rin exclaimed, trying (and failing) to keep her voice down. "It's...someone else. He told me that it was arranged."

Ayako was genuinely surprised; she hadn't expected for anybody she knew to still have a marriage set up for them, least of all Shirou. "But that still doesn't explain why you seem so worked up about the whole thing."

Rin bit her lip, looking away "It's because he's my friend. That's the only reason I need, isn't it?"

"Is that the truth?"

"Of course it is," Rin snapped back.

"The whole truth?"

This time, there was no answer.

--

"Kotomine Shirou" By Mereo Flere

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Fate/Stay Night

--

The local church was not someplace that Rin had been to in quite some time; at least half a year, if her memory served her right. Ever since she had finished her training under Kotomine she had made it a point to avoid the place for as long as possible, only visiting when she absolutely needed to.

Like, Shirou's birthdays. After all, if she didn't go, who else would?

That was besides the point of course. The reason she had come here - the reason that she would face Kotomine today...

Was to punch him in the face!

"What the hell are you planning?!"

Kotomine shrugged off her attack, something that made Rin unnerved. Then he stepped back, beyond her reach, and smirked.

"Is there something bothering you, Rin?"

"Various things," she said, smiling back. For instance, it didn't seem like Kotomine would have a black eye later; that wasn't why she came though. Well, not the only reason, she thought, reviewing the prior moments.

"What is this I'm hearing about Shirou getting engaged?"

"Surely you've heard it from Shirou himself."

"Of course I did," she admitted. "But I wanted to hear it directly from you.

"What do you have up your sleeve?"

Kotomine raised his hands, as if exasperated - though the act did not quite reach his face.

"It's not uncommon, you know, for there to be arranged marriages. It's a tradition in many countries, including Japan."

"I know that. What I want to know is what you're doing, pairing him up with a strange woman!"

"If you must know," he said, all too calmly. "It's because I believe they make a good match together."

"Well I don't!"

Kotomine paused, waiting to see if she would try to punch him again.

She didn't.

"How can you say that so surely? You haven't even met this woman."

"Because!" she said, trying to find any answer. "I know Shirou. He's my friend."

"He agreed to this, you know."

"Of course he would! But, he should get to choose who he gets to be with."

"And you would be the one to ask him to choose?"

Rin grimaced. He really wasn't making this easy for her. Then again, he never did, did he?

"Yes."

"What if he doesn't answer?"

"Then I'll force one out of him."

There was a smile - though only on Kotomine's side.

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear."

"Yeah," Rin replied with a scowl. "I bet it was."

--

"So, are you going to start calling me Father now, or later?"

"You're a priest. You've always been called that."

"By many people, yes. Even by Shirou, when he was younger. But not by you, never by you."

"I never had a reason to before."

"Ah. But you will soon, won't you?"

"I have no idea what you mean."

It was curious, how quickly their roles had changed. Their moods were still relatively the same (Rin was still mad at Kotomine, and Kotomine was still playing tricks with his words), but somehow she had found herself following after him when he beckoned.

Supposedly, their destination was the basement, though it was a roundabout enough route to quickly figure out that they were the only ones at the church at all; even Shirou had gone somewhere it seemed.

"He's out," the priest explained to her, noticing her look around. Of course, she didn't have to ask him why. No doubt it had to do with -that- woman.

Still... "I can't believe you got Shirou involved in this mess. And to call another woman, and have him be his aid...aren't you supposed to be impartial?"

"This is the strategy that your father and I used."

"Even so - "

"Why wasn't it you instead then?"

Kotomine stopped and turned around, a brow raised. Rin opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't. Finally, she nodded meekly.

"Because," he began, continuing on his way. "I wanted to see how you would react, of course."

"Of course," she muttered, resisting the urge to throttle him again.

"Nonetheless, there is a far more serious reason."

"And you're actually going to tell me?"

"Perhaps."

"..."

"The reason, you see, is that both you and your servant work better alone. Working with other people simply wouldn't suit either of you."

"You sound as though you already know him."

"Of course I do. Your father did too."

Rin's eyes widened. "Then - "

"That's correct," Kotomine said, coming to a stop once more. "Your servant - the one your father had called as his partner, is none other than the King of Kings.

"Gilgamesh."

It took a moment for Rin to finally realize they had reached their destination. Only a final door remained in their way - which Kotomine himself soon opened. Swinging slowly, hinges creaking loudly through the empty corridor that had led here, were moved aside and...

Revealed no one on the other side.

"There's nobody here," she said, peering in, closer.

"Of course not, you have to summon him first. It's been ten years already - you seriously didn't expect him to still be around, did you? This is simply where I've kept the catalyst."

Rin glared at him. "I hate you."

"And we're not even in-laws yet," he said with a smile.

--

A few minutes later, she found herself hurrying away from the church - with no intention of returning any time soon. Her meeting with Kotomine had been an aggravating reminder of why she didn't like coming here, or dealing with that man at all.

Still, even if she hated him, he had to admit that he had a point. Someone like herself, she worked better alone; to begin with, there were none that could match her abilities. It was only natural that she should command a servant of similar caliber - standing above the heads of his peers.

That was, of course, if Kotomine was telling the truth in the first place.

Looking down at the bag she had received from Kotomine, she couldn't help but admit that she was a little doubtful of the man. It was always hard to trust him - even harder now, when it was so obvious he was planning something, manipulating everyone around him as he did.

Even if she had no other catalyst to call her own, there wasn't a problem in preparing extra insurance - just in case. The crimson jewel - also left behind by her father, would be an excellent supplement for the ritual.

No matter what, she had to win this war. She wouldn't take any risks she didn't have to...

And she already had her first target in mind.

-End of Chapter 4-


	5. Chapter 5

It seemed that everybody in the school was talking about Kotomine Shirou. The usually responsible son of the local priest had arrived late - and sometime before lunch the rumors of his engagement had already begun to spread. Some had even claimed that they had seen a ring on his hand - and in many minds the rumors had been all but confirmed.

There remained, then, only the question of who he was engaged -to-. The obvious suspect in many of their minds was none other than Tohsaka Rin - the school idol, who had known Shirou for years now. A few others believed that Rin's friend, Mitsuzuri Ayako, had managed to steal Shirou away as she too had been often seen with him, since they first shared a class as freshmen. There were several others as well, such as Taiga - his home room teacher, as well as Issei, the -male- student council president.

At one point, there were a few who stated that he had even made an entire harem of all of them - as well as the entire female track team.

Many of these stories, though, were regarded as nonsense, and were spoken of only in humor. However, amidst all of the candidates the gossipers had pointed out, Matou Sakura was not among them. Of course, this was no surprise.

He probably didn't even know she existed. That wasn't strange - they were simply strangers.

---

"Kotomine Shirou" by Mereo Flere

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Fate/Stay Night.

---

For Ryudo Issei, the day had been a nightmare. The rumors that had surrounded Kotomine Shirou had quickly spread, by now having mutated into a series of monstrosities. It was frightening how he himself had gotten entangled into this mess - and even more frightening that so call factions had started to form.

Eventually, it wasn't a matter of who Shirou was engaged to (though they were sure that there -was- an engagement). Instead, they were arguing over who the guy belonged with. At one point, he tried to break apart some of the bickering - with disastrous results.

"And that's why you're hiding out here in the club."

"...yes."

It had been quite a surprise for Sakura when Issei had burst through the door and, just as quickly, shut it behind himself. His choice of hiding places, however, was a curious one.

"Couldn't you have just gone home?"

"I..."

Issei didn't know what to say. Technically, she was right - school was over after all. So, why come here of all places?

He straightened up, pushing his glasses back into place. After clearing his throat, he looked at her and said, "I have my duties as president."

"Which you just ran away from," Sakura pointed out.

"...you're really helpful today."

"That's what I'm here for."

Issei just couldn't win.

---

It would be difficult to explain the relationship between the student council president and the second year in the archery club, precisely because there was no relationship between them at all. They knew each other through different people, such as the club's captain and vice captain, Mitsuzuri Ayako and Sakura's brother Shinji, but...

To begin with, she always seemed to be at a distance. It wasn't just with Issei – in general, she was a hard to approach girl.

Of course, it wasn't as if she had her own fair share of admirers. While she may not have been a school idol like Tohsaka was, she was pretty and a kind girl, so it was natural for her to be well liked. But, to put it simply, she was not a social person.

Most likely, it had to do with her brother, Shinji. Even in the club, he had heard talk of how he seemed possessive of his sister – jealous whenever another man approached her. Even Issei had been warned to stay away from her. However, her own personality as well played a part – never approaching people on her own, nor even going against her brother.

If Issei thought about it, this was the first time he was alone with her – and today was the most her had ever heard her speak. It was a small change, but still a sudden one and he couldn't help but feel that it was for the better.

However, something bothered him.

An empty archery range. Never mind the other club members; neither the Ayako or Shinji were here. If memory served him correctly, there should have been no reason for the club to be canceled.

"Are you complaining, senpai?" Sakura asked, a weak smile on her face. "Perhaps I'm not good enough company for you?"

"Wha-" Issei's eyes widened, before shaking his head. He hadn't meant to phrase it in that way – but...

"N-no, not at all," he said quickly, trying to avoid a misunderstanding. "It's just that – shouldn't the rest of the club be here?"

Sakura smiled as she watched Issei become flustered, enjoying his reaction. Nonetheless, she decided to answer, rather than play around a little longer. "The captain had some stuff to do in town, and nobody felt like coming to practice if she wasn't."

Issei sighed. He knew exactly what that was like; if the leader wasn't around, then it was hard for the other people to become motivated. But that still didn't explain Shinji – normally, he would jump at the opportunity to be in charge.

"What about your brother? He didn't come either?"

"Ah," Sakura said, casting her eyes downward. "That is...

"I believe I may have angered my brother. He probably won't be coming around for a while."

He blinked, genuinely surprised. For someone like Shinji, Issei would have expected the other boy to find more reason to come to practice – to yell at Sakura, or try to embarrass her. That was, after all, what he did to other people when they made him mad.

It was certainly a first. "Just what happened?" he asked, knowing he was getting too involved.

"It's...nothing."

Naturally, Issei didn't believe her at all.

---

For Matou Shinji, it had meant everything to begin with. A boy born to a magus family, without any magic circuits at all, during his entire life he had dreamed of becoming a magi.

And yet, in the end the one who would inherit the crest would be his younger sister – adopted from the Tohsakas. A child who had been unwanted in her own family was the one to take his rightful place...

To say he was bitter would not do the feeling justice. Even though he knew what she had gone through – even what he had put her through, the fact remained that he was jealous that she could use magic.

That was why, when the fifth Heaven's Feel came around – the Holy Grail War where magi became masters, and commanded heroes from the past to do their fighting, he saw it as his chance to prove himself to his grandfather that he was worthy. That he could fight and win – surpass his sister and Rin both.

But...

Sakura had been the one chosen to be the master. It was only to be expected – she held the circuits, and she held the command seals. When that servant, Rider, had been summoned there was no reason for her to hand over the seals to him.

No. To his grandfather's eyes, it would simply be inconvenient – pointless. The old man who had seen, time and time again, the Holy Grail slip away from their fingers would not allow his grandson to take Sakura's place as the master.

That's why, even though it was through no fault of her own, the anger in his heart directed at her only continued to burn stronger. For Matou Shinji, who only had his pride, regardless of how false it was, he wouldn't settle for giving up now. This could be – and probably was his only chance to prove his worth.

Still, it couldn't be denied that it was impossible for him to summon a servant as he was. He lacked the magic circuits – and without that, he wouldn't be able to call upon the prana necessary for the ceremony. Without a catalyst it became even more difficult – not that beyond impossible was any more disheartening than it was before.

But, it wasn't as if he hadn't studied magic at all. He may have lacked the ability, but he still held the knowledge. Pouring through the family library throughout his life, he had searched for something – anything that could help him. There, he had discovered something interesting; the specialty of the Tohsaka's.

Storing power in a medium wasn't something that other magi couldn't do. However, in this the Tohsakas excelled, using gems to store their prana to be released later – perhaps all at once, or a little at a time. That was why he knew that if he could get a hold of one of those, he could manage it.

It was his only hope.

---

Today was his chance. Normally, Tohsaka went straight home after school; today, though, he had seen her walking off in a different direction – towards the other city across the bridge. He had no qualms about breaking into her home either; for his goal, there was nothing he would do.

Besides, he had always wanted to see what it was like inside her house.

A western style house, much like his own – but the difference was almost startling. The Matou Residence always had its curtains drawn, and almost no light what to speak of; living there was almost like being blind, and one had to remember where everything was.

Here, however, it was bright – not that he could complain. It made searching for the jewels easier. Every magi had a workshop where they could conduct their research – usually hidden and kept out of place. However, because of that it was usually well guarded – more securely than the barrier around the house, at least. That's why he avoided the basement, where he expected it to be.

Because of that, he decided to carefully search the rest of the house before he would risk heading downstairs. Deciding to begin with the bed room, he headed there first.

---

Had Rin been a little more careful – and decided to keep the jewel in a more secure place, he probably would not have found it. Perhaps he would have been looking until she arrived, at which point she would have caught him red handed.

As it was, though, luck was with Matou Shinji today. The large red jewel sitting on the dresser had immediately caught his eye – and though he decided to look a little longer, he had disappeared long before she returned home.

Which was why Rin herself had spent the better part of the last few hours scouring her own house, trying to find the jewel. To say she was panicking would be putting it lightly – after all, she had intended to use it for he summoning. More than that, though, it was a memento of her father – the last gift he had given her from beyond the grave.

To lose it was depressing – unforgivably careless.

Yet, as she watched the clock, she knew she was running out of time. Soon, the hour of her highest level of magical strength would approach. In the end, she decided to make do without it – after all, she could always find it later.

In that way, the day ended without Tohsaka Rin unaware of the theft that had taken place – nor could she possibly know what the thief intended to do with it.

---

That night, Matou Shinji had prepared a magic circle. Like others before him, he performed the ceremony, relying on the Tohsaka's jewel to carry it out.

Even then, though, it would have been impossible. He had no ability, no talent as a magi – and absolutely no experience. Even a regular catalyst would have failed him – unable to bring out a servant no matter what he had done.

But, fate had smiled upon him.

The one called forth bore a connection to the jewel – to the land, and even Shinji himself. Bordering on the edge of a failure, that servant had appeared as crimson light bathed the walls of the room. The Heroic Spirit, a person that shouldn't be here, nonetheless stood in front of Shinji – arms crossed as he judged the man. Tall, with a tan complexion, the muscular build of the man – that befitting a warrior – convinced Shinji that this servant was definitely, definitely, definitely superior to the one his sister had summoned.

A stern expression was on servant's face, that softened as he saw the boy in front of him celebrate the success that had almost escaped him. A mad smile was on Shinji's face, who had proven that he could do it after all.

"I take it," the servant said, a smirk on his face. "That you're my master?"

Shinji grinned back, deciding to excuse the servant's tone of voice. After all, he had performed this, all on his own. Nothing could take away his victory now.

"Yes," he declared, holding up the hand that now bore the command seals. "That's right – I, Matou Shinji, am your master."

The servant nodded, understanding. "Very well," he said, acknowledging the boy before him as his master.

And, that was when the sword appeared in the servant's hand. Shinji, without any time to react, saw it fly towards his face.

There wasn't even time to scream.


End file.
